The Holland Report - 2024, Week 1
Sara FuchsHappy first week of the 2024 legislative session! Since this is the second year of a biennial, we are able to hit the ground running with committee meetings, bill filings and the Governor's annual State of the State address. This was also the week when we learned more about the issues we're facing as a state, by attending the Georgia Chamber of Commerce's annual Eggs and Issues breakfast and Georgians For a Healthy Future's Healthcare Unscrambled event.
The State of the State
On Thursday, the General Assembly held a joint session to hear from Governor Kemp on the State of the State. First, there's good news. If you've been following me for a while, you know I've long bemoaned the shortage of adequate funding for programs and agencies around the state, including K-12 education, the university system, healthcare, and state employee pay and retirement. With a record $16B (yes, billion with a B) surplus, the legislature finally seems poised to direct some funds to critical areas, including more funding for school transportation and security. Georgia has desperately needed this funding to come back up to its pre-Great Recession levels. We may be able to start making progress in this year's budget.
What's the bad news? Even after a key bill was defeated last year, the governor doubled-down on his commitment to providing vouchers that would siphon money away from public schools for private education. He raised the possibility of more "tough on crime" measures that could contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, even as cities like Atlanta are seeing record drops in crime. And he failed to address the expansion of Medicaid, which is shaping up to be the best possible step towards making healthcare accessible for more Georgians and for keeping our hospitals operating throughout the state.
Maternal Mortality
Speaking of Medicaid expansion, expect to hear how expanding healthcare access could be a key part of reducing the state's dismal infant and maternal mortality rate. Democratic leaders have spent much of the first two weeks of the year spotlighting the reasons why women in Georgia are more likely to die from pregnancy complications than women anywhere else in the country. In Georgia, Black women are dying at twice the rate of White women, which only further highlights some of the disparities in our healthcare system. Expect to see a legislative report soon with recommendations about how the state can respond to this crisis.
In Other Healthcare News
I was proud to sign my name to HB856 and HB857, both bills introduced by my colleague Rep. Dr. Michelle Au. For folks with Type 1 diabetes, insulin is literally a life-saving drug - until it was introduced over 100 years ago, Type 1 diabetes was a fatal disease. But even though the drug is more than a century old, drug companies will often gouge the price. And while 20 states have already passed laws capping the cost or copay for insulin, Georgia has yet to do so. This legislation can literally save lives.
Fruits of Our Labors
Back in 2022, I was among those on the Higher Education Committee who passed out the College Completion Grant program which was eventually signed into law. The program is designed to support students who are nearing completion of their college or technical school career but might have a small financial need that keeps them from crossing the finish line - lab fees, textbooks, a car repair, an emergency housing need, a medical bill. This program closes the gap and allows higher education institutions (public, private and technical) the funds so that a student can complete their coursework. In just the first year, more than 6,000 students have received these small grants, and half of them have already completed their degree. In this week's Higher Ed Committee meeting, we delved into the program's successes, its obstacles (being a new program, some colleges are still figuring out how to administer the grants) and where there's room for improvement (the grants require a student to be 80% finished with their degree, but we've realized that 70 or 75% actually makes more sense when so many are on a semester system). It's encouraging when we can see that the ideological work we do under the Gold Dome has a real practical and positive impact in the real world!
What's Next?
This week, we each picked up our copy of the state's budget report. Starting Tuesday, the Appropriations Committee will begin hearings to determine the final budget that we'll vote upon next month. Dying to learn more about the budget process? The schedule is listed here, and you can follow the hearings online here.
Our offices will be closed on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Whatever your plans may be for the weekend, stay safe!
Listening Sessions
Join me throughout session to learn what's happening under the Gold Dome! Register in advance for the Zoom links below.
Register for the January 28th Listening Session
Register for the February 11th Listening Session
Register for the March 3rd Listening Session
Register for the March 24th Listening Session
If you haven’t already, please browse my website, betsyforgeorgia.com.
As your Representative, your concerns are important to me. Please contact me at betsy.holland@house.ga.gov or 404-656-0116 with questions, concerns, or solutions you may have regarding legislation or other happenings in District 54.
To stay updated, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and follow the Georgia House of Representatives @GAHouseHub on Twitter. Additionally, in-depth information regarding current bills, Georgia's annual and supplemental budgets, committee meetings, and livestreams from the General Assembly can be accessed via www.legis.ga.gov.
I encourage you and your family to visit our State Capitol and my office, where all constituents are welcome. I look forward to connecting with you!
My office is located at:
18 Capitol Square, SW
409-B, Coverdell Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.
Representative Betsy Holland
GA House District 54
